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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27445765">The Measure of Magick</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellebore_of_Shadow/pseuds/Hellebore_of_Shadow'>Hellebore_of_Shadow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Elves, F/M, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Multi, Romance, Witchcraft, easytoread, original - Freeform, young adult</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:47:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,178</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27445765</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellebore_of_Shadow/pseuds/Hellebore_of_Shadow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A young woman receives the blessing of magic later than most. Nervous at the sudden change in her life, she sets out to deal with her new gifts and responsibilities to learn that the shadows of the past had never left. They stretch long and deep in multiple facets of society. --- It is a fantasy series with multiple races, more characters will be introduced as time goes on. --- It's intended to include some romance, some LGBTQ inclusivity although this isn't intended to be a comprehensive social exploration, multiple races, elemental magic, warfare/ conflict, politics, and hopefully some humor.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Dream of Awakening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an writing experiment. I have ADHD and Executive Functioning Disorder. I have wanted for years to write a story but I can't even get beyond the basic planning stages. Rather than extensive planning or world building before I start writing, I am going to JUMP IN AND WRITE SPONTANEOUSLY!</p><p>It will be awkward, and changes will need to be made AFTER every post/ chapter. Please bear with me, as this might be my one best chance to actually write.</p><p>I can't promise it will be horribly original, but I will try.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The night was no different than any other. It continued obliviously, moon lighting the fields, insects sounds, muted sounds of hooves on dirt, snorts or squeals, life carried on without much concern for Silney.</p><p>Silney, however, had her eyes clamped tight as her breath came in heaving gasps. Her hands were shaking, she noticed, belated once the biting chill had started to subside. It shouldn't be so cold, it was late into spring, but the layer of sweat on her body gave her a transient blanket of winter grief. She should have expected to be cold, having woken up from a nightmare before. Yet, this wasn't a nightmare.</p><p>Silney chided herself as the sounds finally wormed their way past her fear to land in her ears. The life out there was carelessly plodding on, it was only her that was rattled. She took in a deep breath and let it out, even if it did little to calm her nerves. She repeated  with another breath as her mind started to account for where her arms were, what her skin felt like, and anything else that might be amiss.</p><p>She wasn't sure if she should be surprised that nothing -felt- wrong. </p><p>Her eyes remained closed. What if she saw them, it, whatever it was. <i>Well, I know what it is,</i> came an inward sigh. <i>At least I know what he ... it ... he... thinks he is.</i>  It had shown up as a he, so for her, the deity in question was a <b>he</b>. While she had heard of them showing up in dreams before, she couldn't remember right now if they changed genders depending on whom they communed with, or if they were the gender that the <i>Stellatum Libre</i> denoted for all of Maoriem Mundi.</p><p>~~~</p><p>Letting out one long breath, an extended sigh of frustration, she decided to open her eyes. Darkness greeted her. The same, regular, darkness. She sat up and looked around as a feeling bubbled up in her chest. </p><p>It was disappointment. A deity visited her in her dream, just like every Mage she'd ever heard that got their gift by intervention rather than birth, and the <i>night</i> had the audacity to be the same. Her stomach twisted as all of truth came marching in right over any feelings she had of being blessed or unique. She'd have to leave. </p><p>
  <i>If this is a fey, I'm going to scream. I'm going to hunt it down and scream in its face a thousand times.</i>
</p><p>The bitter reality, that her nightmare wasn't the a <i>latent awakening</i> she thought it was, then it likely was a fey.  "Shit!" The fear melted from body, freeing it to finally move. She bolted to her feet and grabbed her boots and a coat. </p><p>In seconds she was out the door with a perpetual light and trotting down to the stables. She checked each of the stalls, then the hen house. She checked the outside corrals.</p><p>Not a single animal was missing. </p><p>~~~</p><p>"What are you doing up?" Brier's resounding voice broke the stillness far before his own perpetual light breeched the darkness between them.</p><p>Silney jumped, even -if- she was vaguely aware of another light approach. "Sucking shadows!" she cursed as she turned toward Brier.  Her mind raced as she spit out the first thing that sounded reasonable, "Just checking for fey thefts. Had one mountain of a nightmare than made me feel as glamoured as a raven in a wedding a dress."</p><p>Brier snorted, "Don't you mean pig? Though I'd feel glamoured head-foot if I saw you in a dress too."</p><p>Silney smiled as he finally was close enough to see their two lights blanketing the entire front of the barn, much to the dismay of the sleeping livestock. She heard a few whickering complaints from within.</p><p>"Yeah, pig, I ... well, it was a big one," she floundered a moment then asked, "A really big one. I need to talk Bright Mabh tomorrow morn'. Sorry Brier, but I gotta skip out on everything short of lunch. Even then I'm not so sure."</p><p>Brier sucked in a breath, his voice wavered, "Are you sure you're not glamoured?"</p><p>It was the first time Brier had ever heard of Silney visiting Bright Mabh for her own benefit. It was usually only the sickest of animals that sent her to seek out a witch's counsult. She respected their art enough to not waste it on human selfishness like romantic or financial pursuits. </p><p>"No ..." she grimaced, "The dream was really weird."</p><p>He raised an eyebrow, "Pig in a dress weird?"</p><p>"<i>Linneaus</i> weird."</p><p>"<i>That</i> weird?!," Brier stated in disbelief. "You sure?"</p><p>"Yes. I'm sure. If it wasn't exactly like one of his, I'll find a wedding dress to wear, and then we can just say I was glamoured. I'd feel a whole lot better if that was all."</p><p>"Alright, do you want me to tell Rowan and Morgan?"</p><p>"I'll do it ... though don't tell them I think it's Linneaus weird. I mean, if it's not, then I'll have gotten worked up over nothing."</p><p>"But if it is..."</p><p>Silney cut him off, "Stop! I'll get there when I get there. I'll come back regardless after Bright Mabh's."</p><p>Brier sighed and nodded. "That'll be better anyways." He smiled, "So ... will you tell me what you got gifted with if it is <i>Linneas weird</i>?"</p><p>Silney glared at him and sputtered, "I'm going back inside! I'm tired, and I need to think." She started back toward the farm hand's quarters as Brier followed. </p><p>"Thinking and sleeping works as well as salting a pie," he remarked then added, "Take your time tomorrow. Even if you're out all day, or as many days as you need. Send us a flyer, Rowan or I can compensate Bright Mabh."</p><p>Her shoulders slumped as she muttered a soft, "Yeah, I will. Gods and Goddesses let it pass to good fortune."</p><p>"Let it pass to good fortune," he agreed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Brief Exchange</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's rare for deities to visit anyone, but when they do they often come in dreams. Sileny suspects the nightmare she had was one of those dreams, and with it may have come a latent blessing of magic. Unable to keep silent on her trip to Bright Mabh's, a witch who can interpret dreams, she shares some of the details to her friend and fellow animal handler, Brier.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brier accompanied Sileny to Bright Mabh's, the following day. They rode side-by-side for most of it. Sileny had protested at first, however, walking to Bright Mabh's would take -over- a day so riding was the best choice. If Sileny needed to stay for more than few days, Brier could then take the horses back and come get Sileny at an appointed time, rather than being a horse short for an indefinite period. At least, that's what Morgan tried to say, when what Sileny surmised was a ruse to keep her from disappearing to one of the Schools on Magic if she turned out the nightmare was in fact a blessing.</p><p>She snorted at the thought muttered, "After waking up covered in sweat feeling like ice, I have second thoughts about calling those dreams blessings. Linneaus might go on about them, but it felt like I was trying to swim out from the bottom of a raging river. Is magic really that much of a blessing if it comes in a nightmare?"</p><p>Brier looked over at her for a moment, eyebrows furrowed in thoughtfulness, "Magic is magic. There's so many things you can do with it ... but as rattled as you looked tearing around hunting for fey, I can't say that the nightmares aren't horrible."</p><p>Sileny snorted again, "It was and wasn't bad. Well, at least what I remember. However the dream started, I don't know. It was once this guy showed up sparkling with all of the colors of Twilight and the night sky in winter that things got weird."</p><p>"Linneaus weird," Brier interjected with some humor. The smile he had made it evident.</p><p>"Linneaus weird," she smiled back appreciating the joke. Brier's brother had been a mage from birth but the difference between the life they lived in the outer farmlands and that of a city mage was so different it was like a Linneaus was as familiar as a fey-swapped child, although he had a heart of gold that smoothed over any major differences.</p><p>"He went from Twilight to Night Sky deep black. He had pointed ears like an elf, but I don't think he was one. I don't know. He talked to me in a language I didn't know yet I understood what he was saying. I couldn't repeat it if I tried, though Bright Mabh might get it out of me, I'm hoping. It was pretty poetic, talking about what felt like magic in terms of nature, shadows, warmth, light, fire, air, all the <i>stars and blessings</i>. Then I got the feeling he was imploring me and saying something like 'I need you'."</p><p>A grimace crossed her features as she grunted in frustration, "Change that," came the abrupt statement. "It wasn't 'I need you' but more like 'you need to do' something. I don't know, it was in a language where want, need, it was worded differently. It was like I had an obligation he gave to me although I didn't ask for one. Then he kissed me."</p><p>A warmth spontaneously washed over her. From her fingers to her toes, all across her skin it tickled. When she was checking to see if the fey had stolen any livestock, she had completely forgotten the kiss. Now she remembered it entirely. </p><p>Immediately Brier teased, "Ah, so that's why you got so worked up! Did he at least look good?"</p><p>Sileny squeezed her heels and her horse trotted ahead. She called back over her shoulder, "Just another row ahead!"</p><p>~~~~</p><p>Bright Mabh had moved her cottage from the edge of the fields where the town's land started, to the semi-settled area of the town filled with merchant ranked families, yet not so high as to border the governance.  She had stated she was getting tired of spending more time away from her cottage than in her cottage with as much as the town asked for her help. They accommodated her too. She was allowed to grow her gardens as wild as she needed to cultivate the rarer properties of the plants she used for medicine or magic. Witches like Bright Mabh, where practioners of magic from birth, but rather than being connected to one of the stars or to a deity, they were connected to the spirit of the land. She had claimed that the world was round and circled the sun in the sky. She knew why there was night and day, and despite what some Mages believed, it wasn't Gods or Goddesses that made the sun rise and fall. She also knew the properties of the plants, she could hear the voices of the animals. She knew the spirits all by name, those that weren't quite as mischievous as the ones that wanted nothing more than to use the blessed children of Gods and Goddesses for entertainment.</p><p>They were actually getting close when Brier had started to tease her. Sileny hadn't wanted to admit that she turned red. There hadn't been a kiss quite like that in her life before. While she had kissed a boy once or twice, she hadn't really felt anything. It was sweet, awkward, and fleeting. It only lasted for those few seconds and left no mark on her heart or mind. She was one of the few that wasn't drawn into hand fastings or bindings. Her heart wanted to be busy, to do, to help others thrive. It was a unique calling, one that often lead to being a doctor, however Sileny had decided to work with animals instead. That's why she ended up at Rowan and Morgan's farm, where Brier also worked.</p><p>While her mind slipped away from the present, they came up to the cottage.</p><p>"Sileny!" Brier yelped, as she trotted past the gate. </p><p>Sileny abruptly halted her horse, and slipped off the saddle, landing on the ground fluidly.</p><p>"Don't laugh at me," she sighed.</p><p>"I'm not, though I nearly laughed when you turned red."</p><p>Silney harumphed, "Yeah, I felt those eyes as much as I felt my cheeks. It's awkward. Personally I'd prefer to punch him the next time I'm in a dream and he tries something like that."</p><p>Brier laughed, "If it was a man, he'd deserve it maybe, but I'm not sure what would happen if he was a God."</p><p>"If he is a God then he should still know better."</p><p>Brier smiled. Silney's grouchy humor was a sign she was handling things well. If she could find the humor in it, then she was well on her way to accepting whatever was going to come down the road at to face her. He'd seen enough in the few years she worked on the farm even in the worst of storms.</p><p>Right about then a head topped with tight curls over flowing like an uncut mop came bounding into view.</p><p>Bright Mabh opened the gate to greet her guests. "The sparrows send their greets, come in for some tea."</p><p>Both of them turned toward Mabh, bowed their heads and replied together, "We send our greets to the sparrows, may they fly well, and eat heartily."</p><p>Brier dismounted after, and both tied the horses, to follow Mabh inside.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shorter version: I have mental health disorders that have been disruptive for my entire life. After two decades of wanting to write a story but never even getting past a planning stage of any kind for anything, I've decided to do it spontaneously. I'll write what I can when I can, in the hopes of editing it together in the future to be a fluid whole. I hope you enjoy what I write.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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